When My Heart is Overwhelmed By Teresa Fields

Psalms 27:1 (Amp):
[A Psalm] of David.1 THE LORD is my Light and my Salvation—whom shall I fear or dread? The Lord is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?

There is a powerful truth behind the words King David prayed and sang in this Psalm. He had discovered that God Who spoke light into being, was the Light in the darkness. The same God Who promised salvation to the nation of Israel was his Salvation in every difficult situation. David knew he could come to God and enter into a fortress that is like a massive military stronghold that no enemy could penetrate. So it is clear to see how he could say, “Whom shall I fear?” There is no one capable of defeating or even challenging the awesome power of our God!

I have learned over many years and from the teaching of the scripture that one of the main tools that our enemy, Satan, uses against us is fear. Many have taught that fear is actually the opposite of faith. And there are hundreds of scriptures that actually tell us, “Fear Not” or “Be Not Afraid.” You may ask whether anyone can really live without any fear. But, it is not only possible, it is what is best for us. When God tells us not to fear, He gives us the ability to do what He says. David knew that when fear tried to grip his heart, he had to run to God. He would pray, believing that God heard him and would answer him.

Psalm 61:1-4:1 HEAR MY cry, O God; listen to my prayer.2 From the end of the earth will I cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed and fainting; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.3 For You have been a shelter and a refuge for me, a strong tower against the adversary.4 I will dwell in Your tabernacle forever; let me find refuge and trust in the shelter of Your wings…

In an earlier blog I wrote called “The Lord is My Refuge,” I described what that really means for us: In Webster’s 1828 dictionary, a refuge is described as “that which shelters or protects from danger, distress, or calamity…” You can come to the Lord to find help and safety for any danger or any distress in your life. It also calls a refuge “…a stronghold which protects by its strength, or a sanctuary which secures safety by its sacredness; any place inaccessible to an enemy.”

Now think of each of these meanings as they apply to our God. He shelters us and protects us in dangerous situations. He is a fortress that we can enter into for protection. And His holy presence, our hiding place, is completely inaccessible to our enemies! His Presence covers us and becomes a sanctuary that is so pure that the enemy can’t even come near us!

David also said in Psalms 27:5-6:5 For He will hide me in His shelter in the day of trouble; He will conceal me under the cover of His tent; He will lift me high upon a rock.6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD.

When we take refuge in God, we are not hiding from our problems. We are bringing them into the presence of our King, Who has all of the Wisdom and resources to take care of them! When we realize how Good our Heavenly Father is and how much He loves us, we will go to Him first with every problem, every need, and every challenge we face. Then, instead of hearts full of fear, we will have hearts full of joy in the presence of the Lord.